


with my calamitous love and insurmountable grief

by fairytaledyke



Category: Manifest & Heartstrings Crossover
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Multi, also death, but mostly folklore and the lakes, google doc: you're writing about soulmates and loneliness, i'm a simple person i like yearning and symbolism, inspired by t. swifts entire discography, it's not that good but i did it?, tw: gr4cen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:22:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27081142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairytaledyke/pseuds/fairytaledyke
Summary: Ben Stone's words have been gray since the day they appeared. He still never expected his soulmate to be someone from 1940s.
Relationships: Ben Stone / Genevieve Carson, benevieve - Relationship, michsaanvi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	with my calamitous love and insurmountable grief

**Author's Note:**

  * For [benevieve nation](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=benevieve+nation).



Ben Stone’s sister never cared about being proper.

She was a color outside the lines girl, a doodle on the soles of her shoes girl, dangling upside down on the monkey bars girl, leaving her room on the messy side girl. But as he heard often people with messy hearts loved loudly and often, that’s what their mom said.

Even Michaelas soulmate’s handwriting was like a messy chicken scratch on the inside of her wrist, almost looking like a doctor's note, which Ben hated. 

Ben Stone was not a messy person, which was why the inside of Michaelas wrist was written in permanent black ink and Ben’s was gray ink, which made him resent his soulmate's perfect handwriting even more.

It was the easy flow of the his soulmates script that annoyed Ben the most when the words had first appeared on his wrist.

> **_.It’s like the stars aligned -_ **

* * *

They were all gathered in the house of Ben’s grandparents. The passing of their grandmother was a shock to the whole family. It happened so fast the one minute they were visiting her in the hospital the next she was just gone. 

There were hundreds of lilies and orchids in their living room and piles of different casseroles in the kitchen.

Ben’s grandfather was standing in the living room but to Bens confusion, the words on his collarbone had turned gray. The same words Ben had seen many times, were written in gray ink instead of their usual black ink. 

“Grandpa? -” the eleven year old pointed. “I thought -” His granddad collapsed on the couch, his entire body deflating like all the air was suddenly let out. 

“It happens buddy, I’m sure your parents were gonna give you the talk when you got older.”

The words on his wrist felt cold. “But no one has ever told this to me.” Ben would’ve remembered. Every book, every movie, every song had told him that much at least. 

His granddad looked at him with such sadness in his eyes that seemed to fill the whole room. “Kid come and sit down.” His grandad patted the seat next to him. Ben held his breath as he sat down. 

“They were - your words - they’ve always been gray. Since the day they appeared.” 

Ben would later learn there were support groups for people with gray words. Someone had slipped them a flier for a group in their neighborhood amongst his parents' paperwork on the way from the wake. He wondered if his grandad would go, but also if he should go too. 

* * *

Michaela and Ben were swinging in their yard when the subject came up again. 

“There has to be an explanation.. There’s never not an explanation.” Michaela said as her hair flew around like the chaotic spirit she was. “We’ll figure this out, I promise Ben.” She jumped off the swing in full speed falling on her knees in the landing but brushing herself off immediately. “The stars will align, that’s for sure. Future Mrs. Benjamin Stone will be right about that.”

Ben looked down at his shoes as he swung at a slow speed. Wondering if Michaela could be right, he wanted to believe but soulmate science was based on actual science and on thousands of years of collected research. The fact that there could be an error in a science so carefully studied that hadn’t been found yet, just didn’t make sense.

He had done his own research of course. Found people talking about supernatural soulmates, people who were convinced that their soulmate was werewolves or vampires. Read horror stories about weird birthmarks and believed that the moon would reveal their love. Neither situation felt applicable to his. 

What if there was a solution that Ben didn’t want to know? That there was not much else that could be done, and he should just forget everything.

* * *

As the years move on Ben’s question remains the same. But as life continues, he grows up and decides maybe he doesn’t need a soulmate. He has his passion for math and the research he did as growing up sparked a real interest in solving questions. Math has all the answers and everything is solvable, math makes sense. Math being his soulmate makes sense and he convinces himself that it’s enough for him.

He has learned not to speak about his words or rather the lack of color as his family would simply get that defeated and sad look in their eyes. The one where they don’t really know what to say. Since none of them have the gray ink that he does, he doesn’t know how to act like it doesn’t affect him either. His mother has sat with him many times telling him how the love he has for his family is enough. It has to be enough, he reminds himself.

He’d forget the words on his wrist at times and move on, focus on other things and maybe let Michaela force him to go on dates when he’s not occupied with his studies. But every once in a while he would let himself look and think, about the possibility of finding the person who the words belong to. 

* * *

Then he meets Grace. She works across the campus at a bakery. After having a coffee or three he finds out that she had lost her soulmate at a young age, and they immediately connected over their grey words and even thought of themselves as kindred spirits. Things work well with them as they try to fill the loneliness they both have felt with each other's presence. Neither of them want to go back to a life before, where they only have a few haunting words as company. 

Not even six months into dating Grace becomes pregnant. He’s overjoyed and so is she and even more so when they find out that she’s expecting twins. They have a quick ceremony at the courthouse, nothing special, he invites Michaela and her new girlfriend Drea as witnesses. They get the same look he’s gotten his whole life, sadness with the hint of ‘you’re so brave’. But not even that look can get him down when the promise of new life awaits them, as he knows in a couple of months he’ll be a dad and he can’t wait. 

Their new life as parents couldn’t be any better there’s never a quiet or calm moment as the twins Caleb and Olive conquer the world. And he loves being a parent and his kids fill that hole inside him that not even Grace could fill. Sometimes that feeling washes over him at night while Grace is asleep and it’s overwhelming. He promises himself one thing, he never wants his kids to grow up feeling broken or incomplete like he did and he’s gonna try his very best to shower them with unconditional love and support. He knows it’s out of his control so he’s just gonna protect them as best as he can and hope it’s enough. 

It’s not. 

* * *

Several things happen when Cal falls from a play structure at school and has to be rushed to the hospital. The knot in his chest kept tightening as they waited for Cal to come back from the x-ray session they rolled him off to.

“Mr Stone?” A doctor came out of the big doors to the assigned waiting room.

Ben stood up, Michaela standing beside him as a moral support. “You have a very brave little boy, they are bringing him back as we speak. You need to keep an eye on him in case he has a concussion.”

Ben nodded. “Thank you.” Michaela gave him a big smile and patted him on the back. 

“You can just follow me and I’ll escort you.” A nurse says and then leads them to the room where a moderately happy looking six year old is sitting with a blue cast on his arm and an almost weeping mother beside him. There was also another person in the room, a dark haired female was sitting on the other side of him. 

“Dad! Aunt Mic! I’m not crazy I promise.” Cal exclaimed when he saw his father and aunt walk into the room. 

“We’re all a little crazy.” The woman replies at the same time. 

“There’s nothing wrong being crazy.” Michaela chimes in. The room fell silent as the two women looked at each other in shock. Ben glanced at Mich as she processed the _words_ that were tattooed on the inside of her wrist said out loud by this young woman. The young woman stood up and walked towards Mich, shock on both faces. 

Ben took the opportunity and sat down on the available chair, in an attempt to give the two some privacy in their new revelation. “I believe you buddy.” He said in a hushed tone. He looked back up to the couple who had excused themselves and stood outside the room conversing in soft voices. A part of Ben that he hid deep wondered how that was, and when he glanced at Grace who had been silent the entire time. He could see the same thought process going on in her brain, the longing in her eyes making him look away. As the words on his wrist sighed.

* * *

A little more than a year later they were back in the same room but this time there were less happy smiles and more frowned faces as Cal started to complain about headaches. Several trips and some tests later it was revealed that he had a heinous cancer and the world started making even less sense. 

“We have to hold him for a bit longer so we can check his blood values and cell status.” The doctor said and before leaving the room. Both parents nodded, Grace immediately started talking to the nurse working on Cal while Ben focused on his laptop.

With Cals new diagnosis things had changed between the spouses. The couple had completely dismissed the awkward moments after the surprise of Michaela and her soulmate Saanvi, who hit it off right away and were so insync with each other without even making a visible effort. He also loved seeing his sister so happy, the most happy he had ever seen her. Saanvi was also becoming a great friend, they had several things in common and he could see why his sister fell hard.

But the constant reminder of their soulmate bond, even if it wasn’t on purpose, had put a strain on the married spouses relationship. Ben knew deep inside that wasn’t the full truth either since both of them had changed even before Saanvi and Mich happened. Neither of them was as lonely as they were in the beginning of their relationship and the love they felt for each other was nothing compared to the love they felt for their children. 

It was another situation that was purposely ignored and swept under the rug until further notice, as all of their effort, attention and time went to taking care of Cal, driving to hospital appointments and for Ben researching how to save him. There wasn’t an if only a when. Which is why Ben, joined by Saanvi who turns out to be a resident at the hospital, started to look for any options and possibilities to help Cal. 

* * *

Saanvi and Michaela had gotten engaged the week before they booked the vacation, so when asked if they would join in on the planned family trip, they accepted. Ben and Michaelas parents jumped at the opportunity of vacationing with their children and their loved ones. This led to them all going to the Bahamas for a week of relaxing and de-stressing. Trying to sponge up as much family time they could, maybe they were making up for lost time or adding future memories that wouldn’t happen in a year or two from now. 

But now it was back to reality. They all were sitting in their gate waiting for the plane to board. “Attention passengers of Montego bay, Flight 285 to New York City, we have an overbooked plane and are now offering vouchers for anyone to take a later plane. For more information approach the check in desk, boarding will soon resume.” 

Ben looked up from his laptop and glanced at Grace, “We could really use that money, there is this new experimental treatment I’ve been looking at and it could work.”

“It’ll be so late when we get home. It’s not good for Cal or Olive to be spending any more time at the airport than they should.” Grace sighed. 

“He’s fine, look at him.. Neither of them would fall into harm by spending an extra hour waiting.” He retorted as Michaela approached them.

“Saanvi and I are getting the vouchers, mom and dad going to board. How about you guys?” 

“Where are you guys going?” Cal walked up to them. 

“Your aunt Mich and Saanvi are taking the later flight and I’m going with them. But we’ll see each other in the morning okay?” Ben said.

“Can I go with you?” he asked with a hopeful look on his face which made it even harder for Ben to turn him down.

“Buddy maybe you should go with mom and-” He started to say.

“You can go Cal, if you want.” Grace interrupted. 

“Yes! Thank you.” Cal exclaimed and high fived his dad and aunt.

* * *

After some waiting they were finally sitting on the plane on their way back home, the Stone guys sat a few rows behind the couple. Ben attempted for what must have been the hundred time to relax but it was like everything was screaming and it was making his brain loud. The situation with Cal and not being able to find the right alternatives was making him even more frustrated. Ben Stone likes concrete answers and explanations and logic.

“Will my soulmate get a new person if I die?” The voice broke through the plane noise, other people conversing and flight attendants assisting people with drinks and others. 

Ben looked down at the source of the question, at his boy looking at him with hurt. “What? Where did you hear that word?”

“I’ve heard people talk about it and I haven’t gotten my words yet. I don’t wanna die before that.”

“You’re not gonna- you’ll be back in school in no time and learn all about the soulmate quanation.” Ben tried to reassure him.

“How was it for you and mom?” It was an honest question but as his heart clenched for multiple reasons he couldn’t blame the boy for being curious. 

The question lingered. Ben didn’t know the best way to answer the question. “Buddy your mom and I- we were never.” He stopped and thought about what words to use. “We aren’t soulmates. But we love you and your sister so much.”

Cal nodded, seeming to accept the answer, when the fasten the seatbelt sign lit up and a voice started to speak.

“This is Captain Daly speaking. Please return to your seats, fold up the table, and fasten your seatbelts. We’re being welcomed back to New York by some unpleasant weather, some turbulence is expected but we’ll try our best to keep her as steady as we can but prepare yourselves.” 

Ben secured Cals seatbelt before checking his own. It wasn’t long before the turbulence started. Ben clasped Cals hands and took a deep breath. They seemed to be in the eye of the storm and just when the shaking couldn’t get any worse, it stopped. After a while the lights were turned back on and the belt sign was turned off. “This is the captain speaking, It seems like the worst of the weather is behind us and we are on route to JFK airport.”

Ben sighed. “Are you okay buddy?” Cal nodded as a response.

“Ben! Are you guys okay?” Michaela called out as she and Saanvi approached the father son duo.  
  
“We’re okay, are you guys okay?” Ben asked.

Both of them smiled as Michaela sat down next to Ben and Saanvi leaned on the aisle seat. “We’re fine, I almost lost my computer due to the turbulence tho.” Saanvi explained and got a playful eye roll in response from her Fiancé.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, that’s my life's work. All my research is on that computer.” Saanvi objected, while crossing her arms.

“Are we pretending that you don’t use a cloud to store all your research on?” Michaela retorted.

Which got an eye roll response back. 

“So kid. What was your favorite thing to do in the Bahamas?” Cal sat up straight in his excitement to describe all of the beach adventures he and his sister had to his aunts. 

Ben could see something was happening as the flight attendants started to look a smidge nervous. He was just gonna mention it to Michaela when the seat belt sign went up again. “Looks like we need to return to our seats but we’ll see you guys later?”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to New York, please take your places because we’re about to land. Thanks for choosing Montego Air .”

* * *

They had to land on a narrow road which further red flagged the whole situation for Ben. They were asked to be left sitting while they drove to the right terminal. Which never seemed to arrive after 20 minutes of searching, there was nothing to be found, no airports, no terminals, no airplanes. And when Ben turned on his phone it didn’t get a signal. 

They did say they were in New York not on the outskirts of some town. Cal was sleeping against Ben when the captain made his second announcement.

“Attention this is the Captain. It would seem the navigation system malfunctioned during the storm. We’re gonna try reroute as soon as we can. We’re trying to find contact with the nearest airport. So we can fix the system, and get some help to get back to New York.”

People started to get restless, and started to get up from their seats and demand to be let out.

“Where are we?” Someone asked

“What kind of storm knocks out every phone, tablet and GPS system.” Someone else asked.

“Attention everyone. We got contact with a nearby station. We’ll get to the bottom of this but to be able to do that we need you to return to your seats and we’ll have more answers in a moment.” The co-pilot responded.

* * *

They started to drive again and finally ended up at a smaller airport, which assumed it was a private airport. The planes outside looked older, smaller and more rustic. There were wood stairs waiting for them when the doors were opened and people started to flood out, the consensus was clear among the passengers, everyone was relieved to be let out of the plane. Ben clasped his son's hand in one hand and carried their handbagage with the other. He couldn’t help but enjoy the fresh yet cold air hitting them as they stepped out into the dark. 

They reached Mich and Saanvi outside the plane who were waiting for them. “So this is a real adventure right?” They joked trying to light the mood knowing that Ben was trying to not let his annoyance show and was trying to keep calm for Cal's sake.

“It’s something alright.. Any idea where we are?”

As they followed the rest of the passengers into a tiny building, most of the group was already standing around in a circle. Loud gasps and murmurs sept through the crowd. Ben and Mich exchanged looks of worry before walking to the masses, he stayed back in the back with Cal half sleeping against him. 

“What’s going on?” Michaela, a natural expert at keeping people in check, questioned.

One of the passengers who looked paler than the wall. “We approached a couple, who walked by and we asked them if we could borrow a phone and the man looked at us like we had grown a second head. And when we asked where we were, he said New York. ”

People started to lose their patience, it was certainly not the time for a joke now. “They told us it’s April 7th, 1944.” 

“And you believed them?” 

Ben looked down at Cal, he should be home in his bed by now. The frustration over the whole day boiling over. “I need to get my son home to my family, now can someone tell us where the hell we are?” 

Everything that happened after that was a big blur.

* * *

So it turns out they actually time traveled, an impossible concept to wrap your head around but the truth. 

They had been going to the same corner diner for the last three months, trying to figure out how they could return home, and how it’s even possible to travel through centuries. The only positive thing about being stuck in the past is somehow Cals sickness hasn’t gotten worse or even showed itself, but not even Saanvi could explain the reason for that. Which meant it was added to the pile of mysteries they couldn’t solve. 

Saanvi and Michaela were back in their booth. Feeling kind of defeated and kind of lost. “I spoke to Daly this morning and he was looking through the logs of the plane database again.” Michaela began, stirring the spoon in her coffee.

“He never leaves that plane anymore, I don’t get why he keeps doing that to himself.” Saanvi's fingers reached for the fourth finger to twist a ring that was no longer there. It was the first thing to go when they had to scramble together some money for a place to live and food.

“There’s the problem of what we are gonna do next, we need jobs and some kind of office space. We can't keep talking about this in the open.. You never know who will overhear.” She stated before taking a sip of her coffee.

A woman in a suit sitting at the bar turned towards them and cleared her throat before saying. “I’m sorry to interrupt, I couldn’t help but overhear y’all not wanting to be overheard.” She smiled. “Can I offer y’all some guidance?” 

Michaela looked at Saanvi before looking back at the woman. “Thank you but, we’re fine.”

“My apologies if I was mistaken, I just recognize when people are in trouble.” She stood up and walked to the booth. “I’m a lawyer. It’s my job to help.”

Shock filled their faces, brows raised. “A female lawyer?”

“That’s what most of them say. I’m Genevieve Carson.” She put her hand out. 

“Listen I’m sure you mean well but we-” Michaela started but Saanvi gave her a look, and shook Genevieve's offered hand and before allowing her to sit down. 

“I’m Saanvi and this is Michaela. It’s kind of you to offer your help to strangers you don’t know.” Saanvi said, talking over her Fiancé.

Genevieve sat down at the woman's request. “It’s what I do. How can I help? I assume y’all aren’t from around here.”

“What gave it away?” Michaela questioned before starting rambling about their problems. “We're broke, we’re living at this cheap motel downtown, we don’t have jobs.” Or a way to get home, she added silently.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve seen y’all here. I’ve been seeing y’all around for the last week and I thought I should at least offer my help.” Genevieve explained before adding “So let’s see what we can do.”

* * *

The bell above the door rang as Ben stepped into the diner, he looked around before spotting the people he was looking for. They were sitting with a woman in a classic 40s pantsuit, and he couldn't help but notice the auburn hair that framed her face and when she looked back at him, that her eyes was a beautiful green. “I’m sorry, I know I’m late but before I left Cal with Bethany at the room but I wanted to make sure he was okay.” He said as he approached the table trying to recover from the intense eye contact.

“Genevieve, this is my brother Ben. Ben, this is Genevieve, she just offered to write a recommendation to the precinct she cooperates with as a lawyer and suggested some less expensive yet available apartments we can look at.” Mich said, the gloomy mood she had experienced earlier was barely a memory.

“We’re not entirely sure she’s not a genie or if our luck just suddenly changed.” Saanvi jokes.

Genevieve laughed as she looked up to Ben. “It’s like the stars aligned.” she shrugged.

* * *

Ben could only handle so much before his mind stopped working. A sick son, with little to no cure? Sure. Traveling to the past with no sure way of going back? Okay. But meeting his alleged soulmate while being stuck in the 1940s. That’s too much.

Obviously he froze after her whole introduction, his mind too busy trying to process what just happened. Then next thing he knew was Mich grabbing his arm before he could even utter a hello. Like he was a child, and not a grown man with a soulmate from another century. 

The inside of Ben’s wrist burned as if she had touched his words herself but he didn’t dare to check what was happening under his sleeve. He was a coward. He wondered if she knew, he also wondered what he had done in the past to become the universe cosmic joke. 

When they returned back inside Genevieve had gone but left her phone number and work address, the words on the paper looking weirdly familiar. If it was a good way or bad way Ben didn’t know.

* * *

The next time he saw her was at the new apartment, he was the only one in when there was a knock on the door. 

“Oh hi, I was just dropping off some job alternatives for Saanvi.” 

He nodded, “Great, I’ll make sure she gets them.”

Michaela got a job which allowed them to upgrade from the shoebox motel room to an apartment. But that didn’t help the awkward silence between them, as this was their first interaction since they had met at the diner.

As if reading his mind, she said. “So, should we talk about the other thing?”

He shook his head. “I think I need some more time. We’re still getting used to all this.”

She nodded understandably and left.

* * *

Ben sat down on the couch next to Michaela. He didn’t know how to start this conversation but he knew he had to get some things off his chest. “So..”

Mich sat up and looked at him with a smile on her face. ”I was wondering when you were gonna open up about this.”

He rolled his eyes. He had been keeping it under locks and going through his days like nothing was happening, but it still layed heavy on his mind at night. “What do I do?”

“You have to let yourself do what you want to do. You've always stopped yourself because the risk has always been scarier than the actual thing.” She paused before adding. “We don't know how long we’ll be here but you'll regret it if you don't take the chance now before it’s too late.”

Ben had to admit that she had a point. His sister knew him better than most people and knew that if he didn’t get to the bottom of this he would regret it.

“I know you and you’ve always been asking these questions ever since the words appeared. you owe it to yourself to get answers and closure. That's it nobody is asking more from you than that.” Michaela continued.

“When did you get so wise?” He joked

She threw a pillow at him. “Hey, I have always been wise. But maybe being together with a brilliant scientist has made me level up a bit.”

* * *

That night at Genevieves for dinner, their spirits were raised. Things had started to work in their favour despite being stuck in the 1940s. Cal was enrolled at a school even if they were in the 1940s. They figured he needed to get out, learn and instead of being stuck in a room while they tried to work out a way to get home. Cal got to meet Genevieve, and the two hit it off right away. The former immediately challenged the latter into a game of chess.

“Genevieve, can I ask you about something?” Cal said before making his next move. 

“Anything.” She replied honestly while focusing on the board, moving one of her pawns.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you have a soulmate?” 

She looked at him, unsure how to answer his question. “When I was your age I didn’t. But my mom said by helping others I could be a part of a greater bond that nobody could take from me. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to become a lawyer.” She figured it was the safest route she could go.

“Really?” He questioned, before moving his bishop.

She nodded as she moved one of her rooks forward. “Some advice, don’t put much thought about when your words will appear. You have your whole life to dissect them and their arrival. It’s an adults job to worry about it. But for now I think you should focus on your next move- and the possibility that there’s an uneaten pie left in the kitchen.” 

Which got the intended reaction as the boy ran into the kitchen.

“Thank you.” Ben hadn’t intentionally been listening to their conversation, he didn’t want to interrupt them either.

She turned around to where the voice came from and saw Ben leaning against the doorframe. “It’s no problem.” 

He scratched the back of his neck. “What your mom said, it’s really sweet. I know I’m not being fair for asking for space.”

“I don’t blame you. Especially not when you have a family and a life somewhere else.. So how about we just get to know each other?” 

Gratefulness once again filled him. “I would like that.”

* * *

After that Genevieve started to be around more. Especially after they had told her the whole truth, as they realized that they owed her that much, and also could use all the help they could get. She was very accepting and offered her help as much as she could, there was also when they found out that she had a secret of her own that was passed on to her from her birth mother. 

Little by little Ben realized that being around Genevieve was impossibly easy. 

He first noticed it when he made a bulletin board out of the resources they had, she showed up to help him set it up bringing yarn and time travel theories. They spent the whole afternoon setting everything up while telling stories about their childhoods and lives in general. Ben talked about growing up with Mich as his sister and his passion for numbers and how it all made sense in his brain. Genevieve shared her story about learning how to use the heirlooms she got from her birth mother. 

It’s also when he realized that her laughter was addictive.

It became a good partnership. Even with them being new friends, the way they worked together just seemed to work, they could understand each other without any long explanation. It was like they were seeing the same thing and could often connect each other unfinished thoughts. 

* * *

“Ben was so freaked out that he tripped and fell on the ground.” Mich reminiscenced which got the whole table laughing besides Ben who feigned annoyance. 

“How many times are you gonna tell that story.” Ben questioned as he rolled his eyes. But as his eyes met Genevieve’s across the table his annoyance quickly rolled off. 

They had a good routine going, joint dinner almost everyday. Sometimes Michaela and Saanvi did their own thing, and it was only Ben, Cal and Gen, but that didn’t matter much. After dinner Cal would usually challenge someone to a game of his choosing, or they would all split into teams. They were making it work and it wasn’t hard to find happiness in the small moments.

Going home was still priority number one. While he missed his life and his daughter more than anything, it did come with a lot of other difficulties and obstacles like Cals continued sickness and the shell of a marriage he left there. A part of him hesitates when he thinks of the ring laying on his bedside table and of what it represents. 

Something has changed, he didn’t know if it was just because of time or if it was fate doing it’s thing. Somehow during the meet ups, the long talks in the middle of the night, and brain storms. It was like a flip had switched. Meeting Genevieve's eyes across the room made him forget for a moment. 

His ink has never been more vibrantly black than it is in moments with her.

* * *

He knows he’s not the only one it has changed for when Genevieve one late night brings him to her room. As all the loneliness, all the hopelessness, all the fear they have felt leading up to this moment disappears.

Afterwards they are lying, tangled in her bed, the warmth of her body seeping into his, barely aware what limb was whose. Ben was gently brushing his fingers through Genevieve's hair, appreciating the calmness of the moment that surrounded them. 

He didn’t know how long it had been, her breathing was almost lulling him to sleep, when he heard her voice break through the silence. 

“You still have to go back. You have Olive waiting for you and Cal needs to go home and be where he belongs.” 

“I know.” He says and picks up her hand and links their fingers. He could tell she was about to say something else when he interrupted. “We’re going to work this out. I promise.”

She nodded and then leaned up so she could look at his face, a smile filling her lips. “Looks like we have to yet again trust the stars.”

Ben chuckled, “They haven't let us down yet.” he replies before capturing her lips in a kiss.

  
  



End file.
